Kerwick’s not going
down without fight
Campaign Bits
By Tom Waring
Phil Kerwick plans to fight to regain his post as Republican leader in the 35th Ward.
Kerwick has been busy running the Blasius Chocolate Factory, at 1849 E. Venango St., which does great business during the Easter season.
His attention, though, has been diverted of late by an effort to oust him as ward leader.
A Burholme resident who was a committeeman for about two decades, he succeeded then-City Commissioner John Kane as ward leader in 1997.
Since then, Kerwick has tried to help Republicans in the 35th Ward, a onetime GOP stronghold that is now mostly Democratic due to changing demographics.
The ward leader has also been well known for donating Blasius chocolate for various political functions.
Twice, he’s run for office. He challenged state Sen. Shirley Kitchen in 2004 but lost. And last year, he sought an at-large City Council seat and lost that as well.
That 2007 campaign is what has led others in the party to seek his ouster. He’s called on City Commissioner Joe Duda, who was re-elected last year to a fourth four-year term, to resign for allegedly using office staff to perform political work. Duda did not respond to a Times’ request for comment.
Kerwick also backed challenger David Oh over incumbent Jack Kelly in the at-large Council race.
Some Republicans linked the ultra-conservative Kerwick to Paul Corbett, who distributed leaflets sharply critical of Kelly for his vote to end the Boy Scouts’ dollar-a-year lease at its Center City headquarters because the Scouts do not permit gay leaders.
Kerwick said he was not part of the Corbett effort.
"He’s too extreme even for me," he said.
Party leaders also questioned Kerwick about his distribution of Republican City Committee funds to committee people. The ward leader said he always paid his committee people, sometimes a few days late, because he paid for costly election night dinners at Ruhling’s Seafood and Red, White & Brews.
Nonetheless, the so-called "street money" on Election Day 2007 went to other party loyalists to distribute in the ward.
Earlier this year, committeeman Linwood Holland — whom Kerwick helped get a job at the Philadelphia Parking Authority, according to the ward leader — began circulating a petition to recall him from the post.
On March 6, Kerwick and the committee people joined Republican City Committee chairman Vito Canuso and general counsel Mike Meehan at the Cpl. John Loudenslager American Legion Post 366 hall.
Kerwick said he spoke on his behalf for two minutes, then defeated the recall by a vote of 14-12. But, he said, party leaders later discounted six of his votes, claiming that those committee people had not been elected.
According to Kerwick, party officials never gave him a copy of the bylaws.
"I requested them in writing," he said.
Kerwick believes the fix was in to oust him.
"There was no due process," he said. "They do what they want. It was a staged event."
Canuso denies that allegation, saying he never talked to Holland about the petition before it was submitted.
"It didn’t come from the top down," he said.
Committee people were expected to gather on March 28 at the Seaport Inn to elect a new ward leader, but Canuso last week appointed veteran committeewoman Agnes "Chuckie" Tilley to serve as ward leader until the end of Kerwick’s term in May 2010.
Meanwhile, Kerwick will appeal the decision to the Republican State Committee.
"He can have it reviewed by anybody he wants," Canuso said. "If he is so right, he can go through the appeal process."
Kerwick said the facts are on his side.
"The only thing that matters is my reputation," he said.
A hearing was in progress as the Times went to press on Tuesday as Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Judge Doris Smith-Ribner was determining if state Rep. Tony Payton has enough signatures to remain on the April 22 primary ballot.
The petitions submitted by Payton (D-179th dist.) are being challenged by his Democratic primary opponent, Guy Lewis.
The Lewis campaign alleges that many of the signatures are forged, illegible or from Republicans, independents, unregistered voters and dead people.
U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz is one of the so-called "super delegates" who will cast a ballot for president at the Democratic National Convention.
Schwartz (D-13th dist.) is a strong supporter of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, who is battling Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for the nomination.
The congresswoman believes Clinton, who was first lady for eight years and has been in the Senate since 2001, is the best candidate because of her positions on health care, jobs and national security.
"Her experience matters," she said.
Schwartz campaigned for Clinton in Ohio and joined former President Bill Clinton as he lobbied Philadelphia ward leaders on behalf of his wife at a meeting at Democratic City Committee.
The lawmaker thinks Sen. Clinton will do well in Pennsylvania because she’s shown strength among women and middle-class working people.
"She has a broad appeal," she said.
Monday is the deadline to register to vote in the April 22 primary election.
All registered votes have until April 15 to apply for an absentee ballot. Completed ballots must be returned by April 18.
Poll workers will check the identification of all first-time voters and those voting for the first time in a new location.
For a voter registration form or absentee ballot application, visit Room 142 of City Hall or call 215-686-3469 or 215-686-3943. Or, go to dos.state.pa.us/voting ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com